Did you make a resolution to start off the year by reading your Bible? Patricia Heaton, the actress, recently made the news about having finished reading the Bible in a year. I found it amusing because something like that should be commonplace, not newsworthy. But of course, it’s good that a celebrity like that could inspire others to do the same. It may take you longer than a year, but that’s OK. Every Christian needs to become familiar with the foundational document of their faith!
Bobby Harrington of Renew.org (an excellent resource) blogged last week about the state of the broader evangelical world. He notes that even Evangelical Christians (who are supposed to be the serious Bible “believers”) don’t know the Scriptures like they used to because they’re not regularly reading their Bibles. That’s why they’re being swayed by “progressive” beliefs. On top of that, many churches no longer focus on the Scriptures as they used to, without much offered beyond weekly sermons (which are often dependent on inspirational stories & practical applications instead of actual Bible teaching).
This has also led to Evangelical beliefs fracturing. While a basic consensus about some worldview questions used to be shared by most Christians (at least by Protestants), that consensus is breaking down. The main question concerns the reliability & authority of Scripture. If we can’t agree on that, then we won’t find agreement on any other major issues (like the necessity of salvation through Christ, the vital importance of the local church & evangelism, & morality especially regarding sexuality).
In another article from last week (in “World” digital news group) Thaddeus Williams points to recent research that indicts America as “A nation of Biblical illiterates.” “Two-thirds of parents of pre-teens in America identify as ‘Christian,’ yet only 2 percent meet a minimal criteria of possessing a Biblical worldview.” The failure to prepare kids comes not only from parents but from most church leaders who also don’t hold consistent Biblical beliefs. The same has happened among professors in what used to be solid Bible colleges & seminaries where ministers are trained.
Harrington points to a crisis in family discipleship. He quotes a Texas minister: “Once a child is over 11 years of age and they have been in the public school system, it is becoming harder & harder to disciple that child to uphold the counter-cultural teachings of Jesus.” The online world that younger people are saturated with has helped spread anti-biblical ideas rapidly. Biblical Christians are the last holdouts in society—the ones standing in the way of societal “progress.” It’s becoming apparent that children are being influenced to think that their parents & churches which uphold Biblical teachings & values are bad & bigoted. I’ve personally heard a number of stories about children (from young to adult) turning against their parents for their Biblical beliefs. These parents are considered “[whatever]-phobic” or “[whatever]-ist” when it comes to cultural values.
We need to get back to the basics. Even if Scripture is being faithfully taught on Sundays, it’s not enough.
- Read the Bible. You can find Bible reading plans here. My own personal plan? I just read 2 or 3 chapters a day—that’s it. I pick a book & read through it till I’m done. When I’m done with the whole Bible, I start over again. If you’re new to Bible reading, start with the New Testament.
- Start teaching children while young to understand Scripture & Christian doctrine. You have a duty to “push your beliefs” on your children. It’s your God-given non-negotiable duty. If you don’t, someone else will.
- Bring your family to church every week. The time spent in church is still minuscule compared to time immersed in the world. Liberty Counsel highlighted a recent study showing that 1/3rd of Americans have stopped going to church in-person since 2020. If you got out of the weekly habit, start back up. Don’t excuse absence with claiming online attendance (unless you truly can’t show up in person). Online is a supplement, not a substitute (& it’s clear that many exaggerate how much they’re staying connected that way).
- Get in a discipling relationship with other Christians outside of Sunday morning in a Group or Class or a mentoring relationship. Too many will be lost to the culture if they don’t.
- Pass on your faith to others through invitation & instruction. That also is your God-given non-negotiable duty to make disciples.
“I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude said that (v. 3), not me. But I concur.